Oliha raps Eagles’ defence

Former Super Eagles midfielder Thompson Oliha has singled out the senior national team’s defence for the sole reason the nation failed to pick maximum points against the Stallions of Burkina Faso in the Group C encounter of the 2013 African Cup of Nations played on Monday night.

Oliha, a member of the 1994 Eagles that dazzled the continent to Nigeria’s second conquest in the Nations Cup at the 19th edition in Tunisia, opined that the defence marshalled by captain Joseph Yobo was the country’s Achilles heel against the Burkinabes.

He added that the country’s representatives also suffered from loss of concentration which, he enthused, was unheard of in games of such magnitude and at such a time in the match.

Oliha warns that for Nigeria to survive the onslaught of the defending champions, Zambia’s Copper Bullets, the Eagles captain should be replaced in his preferred central defence with another better player while Yobo be moved to the right full-back position because of his experience.

Currently one of the coaches in the Kwara Football Academy of Excellence, Oliha said the Stephen Keshi-led Eagles’ technical crew should tutor and lift the spirits of the players ahead of their must-win match against Zambia.

A furious Oliha disclosed: “Nigeria had no defence against Burkina Faso. For me, Yobo had a bad day and should be replaced in our next game from the central defence position if we want to get anything out of that match.

“We also suffered from loss of concentration and we paid dearly for it so late in the match when we were already celebrating a win. It was that bad.

“Keshi and his other aides in the technical crew should be able to fashion out a winning formula and strive to lift the spirits of the players. This will make them come all out against Zambia and get the needed victory. At this stage of our game we should not be having problems with countries like Burkina Faso, and the fact that we struggled against them showed the level to which our game has gone down against so called minnows on the continent,” the one-time Eagles star concluded.